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Sunday, May 31, 2009

The amazing Steven J. McDermott posted this about my story, "Do you know what it means to miss" from Juked. I'm a happy writer, he totally gets what I'm going for emotionally, even if doesn't think I have a plot.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Finished Shane Jones' Light Boxes, which was both fun and frantic, like Arcade Fire songs. So much of the book is about the fragility of despair and how it will always be weaker than magic, which means that no matter what happens, humanity is recoverable. The book is very accessible, concrete, matter-of-fact, and startling.

Then we did danger gardening. There has been a huge broken branch caught in other branches swinging over our house for some time now. So we tied a shoe to a rope, tossed the rope over the supporting branch and shook the bugger loose. Spiked a deep divot in the ground near the porch, but missed the cardinal's nest (which has a lone cowbird egg in it).

oh, almost forgot--the pic in the previous post has naughty bits in it. I didn't know that.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Thursday, May 28, 2009

The June issue of decomP has gone live, with my story: "Ava Gardner was born in Grabtown" . I'm very excited, of course. The story comes from an idea that was too-too to fly: what would happen if you dropped Infinite Jest in the bathtub? Of course there's none of the original idea left.

My bio is a little off. I claim that I have a recent publication in the Northville Review. So far this is untrue, but Erin will crack any day now.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

it's a mess, but a completely workable one. think I'll take the rest of the afternoon off. the thing is called Social Aid & Pleasure. what dean has read so far, he says is like cory doctorow. my story in Barrelhouse 7 "Wishtank" comes from the novel.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

katrina finished her draft, gary hit 200pp, david seems to have gone underground with his. I'm 4 complicated scenes away from my planned ending, having taken a surprise detour into a sex scene that's sorta didactic. it's the last good time in the book, the last time everone's a winnah! now for the collapse of all we know and love.

just finished reading Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, a great book that should be called Grotty Places. I swear each time the locale changes, it gets grosser and grosser.

I'm going to try write all weekend, but if I have to stop, I plan to start reading Light Boxes. hope it doesn't mess me up by being too good. And the thing is so attractive that Dean says he wants to read it. Keeps eyeballing the book like it's some fascinating new pet in the house, but not a kitten or puppy. More like a gecko.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

It's my ol' man's birthday, but I'm the one who got the prezzies. I know I'm the last person to order Light Boxes, and I received it today (interestingly, the day Shane returned to the life) along with a lagniappe: Rupert Wondolowski's The Origin of Paranoia as a Heated Mole Suit. Plus, a hand scrawled note, from Adam I presume, with just enough personality to bug the birthday boy. Next time, do a heart instead of a smiley face.

Also, I picked up the Spring 2009 issue of Mystery Scenewhich features two delightful articles by my pal and fellow db enthusiast, Art Taylor. One of the articles (about romantic crime films) is the 'centerfold' feature, so it's on shny slick paper. If you're gonna go print, slick and shiny is aces.

Just finished Ken Bruen's Cross, and I gotta say that was a dark, dark finish. I may need counseling.

heh. have the ending of the novel m.a.p.p.e.d. o.u.t., but I'm only slogging along and have written two back to back scenes of characters having conversations in the dark. That's not fiction, that's radio.

lotta smoke up my skirt lately, that could be the prob. but also, knowing.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Paycock Press anthology, Gravity Dancers: Even More fiction by Washington Area Women, edited by Richard Peabody is on the verge. I just got the galleys for my contribution, a story called "Moon Walk" that comes from the WV novel.

The launch party is scheduled for Sunday July 19th at Politics & Prose at 5pm.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I wish someone would say what happened with Shane Jones. I guess it's a game? There's so much I am the last to learn, like Twitter Walken isn't real. Shane's last FB status was "Oh no" and on Goodreads the date of his death is listed as May 9, 2009. That's spooky. I know, I'm a sucker.

Mean time, Molly Gaudry ain't going to stand for that. No one else goes without permission. Not even Molly, as she fails in her own attempt at an internet vacay. She made it what? 0 days? Thanks Molly, really.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Robert Swartwood's 'hint fiction' lark has turned into something very real--he now has a deal to produce a Norton anthology of H-fics which will include the top twenty from his blog contest where he asked for submissions of fiction less than or equal to 25 words. The prizes, when the contest was posted ranged from amazon gift certificates to indie books. Now the prize for participation may well be eternal freaking fame.

Here's the fun part for me: I told my students in my junior level fiction writing class they'd get extra credit for entering the contest. I think 4 did.

That's right, the list is UP, and I'm blown away to have made it with "Render, or to transmit to another" from December's elimae. The whole list, including the long shortlist, is stunning, and Scott Garson and Darlin' Neal should receive significant CASH PRIZES and other honors for the work they do in the advancement of short fiction. I'm dead serious about that.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

so after my brush with near-success, which was more like a 5 week scrape on a gravel road, the logical thing is to return to the Louisiana book and finish the draft asap. But I keep thinking about putting together a short collection of 'pocket guides' like the one I have up at Hobart online, and when I floated the notion by Dean (he's supposed to say no), he shocked the hell out of me by saying yeah, do the collection, take a break from the novels. Thinking about it is fun, that's for sure.